I knocked on the door to Recovery Girl's office.
"Come in."
I stepped inside with Midoriya still slumped over my shoulder, his head lolling slightly, breath shallow but steady.
The interior featured a work desk with a computer and a drawer with unspecified medicine next to it. There were also two beds, two chairs, and medicinal posters decorating the wall.
Recovery Girl turned from her desk with a glance and immediately frowned. "Oh dear. Set him down on that bed over there."
I did as she asked and eased Midoriya down onto the nearest bed.
"What happened?" she asked, already moving to check his pulse and examine his injured arm.
"During battle training with All Might, he used his Quirk." I said. "Didn't hit me directly, but the shockwave alone was enough to wreck the hallway. After that... I continued the fight and hit him hard in the gut. I'm sorry; I should have ended the fight before that."
She looked up at me briefly, then back down at Midoriya, her fingers gently pressing along his wrist and elbow. "Mm. Just yesterday he was in here for an injury on his finger. This boy's got a death wish"
I stayed quiet.
"I can't treat him all at once," she continued. "He's too exhausted. And that arm of his..." She pulled back the rest of the sleeve to reveal purple swelling around the elbow. "Won't be healed anything soon. My Quirk can help him stabilize and wake up soon, but the limb itself needs much more. You said you only punched him?"
I nodded.
"Then you don't need to worry. The worst of it is self-inflicted. What he did to himself was far more reckless than whatever you did."
I hesitated, then deliberately lowered my voice. "I can't accept that. I should've had better judgement. He was already down, and I chose to keep fighting. A real hero wouldn't make excuses for something like that, so I'll take responsibility for my part."
She gave me a sidelong glance, but didn't push it. "If only all heroes were like that."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a notification for 2 messages from Mina.
Mina: Yo! Villain Team won the final match! Hagakure and Mineta totally caught Aoyama and Sero off guard.
Mina: class is done btw
Before I could type a response, another message popped in.
Kirishima: Yo bro, class is over. You up for the gym?
I tapped out a reply to Kirishima: I'll be there after I'm done here with Midoriya.
Kirishima: Cya there bro!
A fourth message arrived from Momo.
Momo: The final match concluded quickly. Mineta deployed his Quirk to fill the floor with his sticky spheres, limiting the hero team's movement. Hagakure used the opening to approach unnoticed and successfully applied the capture tape. It was a strategic win based on terrain control and stealth. Aoyama and Sero were caught off-guard and failed to adjust. Overall, a decisive victory for the villains.
Just as I slipped the phone away, the door creaked open again. A lanky, frail-looking man with sunken eyes and spiky blonde hair stepped inside, wearing a black pinstripe suit. His eyes darted toward Midoriya before glancing at me.
"Oh hello, who are you?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
He hesitated, caught off guard by the question. "Ah—well—I'm, uh—"
"He's Toshinori Yagi," Recovery Girl answered flatly, not looking up from her clipboard. "He works for All Might. He's been to UA a few times to meet with Principal Nezu. Mr. Yagi, is that why you're here?"
"R-Right," the man stammered, composing himself. "I'm just here to check in with All Might. Today was his first class, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," I said, shrugging slightly. "Are you here to evaluate how it went?"
"In a way. May I ask, are you one of his students? How was his teaching?"
"I am, and it was definitely an interesting experience being taught by All Might. But if I'm honest, it felt like he was reading off a script sometimes. It felt a little unnatural, if you understand what I mean."
He scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I see. I'll make sure to relay the sentiment to him. He's still new to teaching; I'm sure he'll get better in time." His gaze flicked to Midoriya "What about that young man on the bed over there? Is he also a student of the same class?"
"Oh yeah, actually All Might's class had us in combat against our fellow students. He was my opponent and I took it too far."
Recovery Girl clicked her tongue, still scribbling something down. "Midoriya's injuries are more his fault than yours. Don't shoulder blame that isn't yours, boy."
All Might nodded in agreement. "Take it from me, young man. If All Might were here the only person he would blame is himself. You're still a student, you're not responsible for what happened."
A low groan broke the silence.
Midoriya stirred, blinking slowly. His gaze landed on the suited figure in the corner of the room—and his eyes widened.
"All Mi—"
All Might quickly interrupted, raising a hand with an awkward laugh. "Ah, I'm Toshinori Yagi. I work closely with All Might. He was interested in getting feedback on his first class."
Midoriya blinked, processing the information, then nodded slowly. "It was amazing, but also really intense. But I think I learned a lot. I want to get stronger so I can keep up."
All Might smiled warmly with a chuckle. "That's good to hear. I'll be sure to pass that along."
I turned toward Midoriya. "Anyways, Midoriya, I'd like to talk to you about your Quirk."
His expression shifted, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "Uh… sure. What do you want to tell me?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Oh, I figured you'd want some privacy before talking about it. But if you're fine with it, I can say it right here."
Midoriya glanced toward All Might, who stood silently nearby. Then, slowly, he nodded. "It's okay. You can say it."
I didn't miss the faint twitch in All Might's jaw. From the corner of my eye, I caught how his posture subtly stiffened. He was paying close attention now.
"Alright," I said, slipping my hands into my pockets. "So please forgive my bluntness, but I think the way you're using your Quirk is wrong."
Midoriya blinked. "Huh?"
"You use it by focusing everything you have into one point," I continued. "Which gives you the maximum output in a single burst. But it also shreds your body in the process. I know you're aware of that. Still, this is the second day in a row you've ended up in the nurse's office because of it."
He looked down at his wrapped arm, his mouth tightening into a thin line.
"You're treating it like a weapon that fires once and breaks," I said. "But it's your body, not a cannon. You need to distribute the power across your whole form, not just concentrate it in one limb."
"Actually, hold on. I think it's better if I show you." I raised my right hand and concentrated. One For All flared to life, crackling through my palm. "This is what you do."
Then, I spread it out.
The energy coursed through my entire body, faint black sparks dancing across my frame. A soft glow pulsed at my joints and fingertips. It wasn't perfect, but I held it together. A makeshift Full Cowl.
"But this is what you should be doing."
Midoriya stared, eyes wide. Even Recovery Girl paused, watching from her desk.
"If you spread the energy through your entire body, it'll reduce the strain on any single part. You're not overloading any one part. It'll improve your speed, your reflexes, your endurance. But most importantly, you'll stop destroying yourself every time you throw a punch.
I took a step forward, then pivoted on my heel. "And don't just think about punches. You've got legs, knees, elbows—hell, even your forehead works in a pinch. Use every tool you've got."
Midoriya stared at me, silent for a long moment.
"I… never thought of using it that way," he said softly. "It always felt like I had to control it all at once. But when you explain it like that, it makes sense."
I let the energy dissipate, flexing my fingers once the glow faded. "Well, give it a shot when you're feeling better. Let me know how it goes. And if you want help working on it, you can ask me anytime."
He looked up, surprised. "You'd help me train?"
"Of course," I said with a smirk. "You've got one hell of a Quirk, Midoriya. I've got no doubt you've got the potential to become one of the top heroes."
He flushed, scratching the back of his head, eyes shining with determination—and was that a tear? Seriously? Why are you crying already?
I turned toward the door. "Anyway, I'm heading to the gym to train with Kirishima."
Before leaving, I glanced over my shoulder. "You should come with us sometime. We'd love to train with you."